Midnight Hour
by Blue Obsidian Butterfly
Summary: Riley has always believed that she was only half human but when Gabriel finds his way through her defenses and into her heart how long can she keep her secrets hidden? AU-Riley is a Werewolf. Not a crossover with OUAT. Riliel. Now complete
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: If constantly obsessing over a show to the point of insanity means I own it then yes otherwise….well let's just say it won't be pretty.**

**A/N: I am really not sure how I feel about this idea but the plot bunny turned vicious and started threatening me. At least it will help to pass the time until we hear news about season 2 (I refuse to even admit that it could possibly be cancelled.)**

Her claws dug into the moist earth as she pounded through the forest, dodging trees as if they were made of air. The moon was full and bright, casting a glow that sent ripples of delight streaming across her fur. Tonight it would be her salvation. Smells whipped past her noise and she sorted through them with ease, distinguishing each and determining that they were not worth the time though she longed to follow them, her instincts telling her to hunt whatever lay at the end. The night lay ahead full of possibilities and with the wolf in control it would be easy to just run further into the forest and never return but she had long since learnt that she was as much Riley as she wolf, perhaps over time they had become the same thing. Never the less she relinquished full control for the night of the moon, giving into her instincts and running free.

When the light of morning broke through the darkness she trotted through the last of the trees. Hints of moonlight lingered but the time had come to return. At first the change had been one of the most difficult parts, agonising pain shooting through her as her bones shifted, waking up in a strange place with no memory of the night before. Monster, they called her. Even now the word sent shivers down her spine but she had learned to accept what she was and only by doing so could she control it. The shift was barely noticeable, her form shifting from four legs to two. Parts of the wolf remained though the effects were not as prominent; she barely noticed her heightened sense of smell or protective nature not to mention ability to heal, something that had come in handy more than a few times. There was only one thing she required from her job: one night off every full moon. At first her superiors had looked at her as if she were insane but over time she proved herself so they eventually ignored it.

She pulled out the sweatshirt, track pants and sneakers she had kept hidden behind a log and made quick work of dressing. To anyone she passed on the sidewalk she looked like a regular early morning jogger, just the way she liked it. The distance between the edge of the forest and civilisation seemed like nothing but to her it separated two worlds andin the back of her mind she feared that the day would come where that line disappeared. Shrugging it off as she had done hundreds of times before she began a slow jog back, covering the distance easily and before she fully realised it she was home.

One thing that had become apparent when she had first become a lycanthrope was that the morning after was never pleasant and this morning was no different. She had built up a tolerance to raw meat but no amount of exposure could keep away the sick feeling that usually accompanied her little…midnight snacks. Thankfully this time it had only been a rabbit she had hunted and although she did feel slightly bad about it there were worse options. Despite her stomach's protests it stayed down and she was grateful: throwing up first thing in the morning sucked.

After a quick shower and change of clothes it was six am: time to call Gabriel. A small smile crossed her face as she hit speed dial 1 and listened to the rings. She counted barely three before his voice came over the line: groggy but still with that same teasing edge she had come to expect from him.

"Morning sunshine" she said, putting on her best cheery voice because she knew how much it annoyed him.

"Is it" he replied, inserting mock annoyance into his voice. "You know these morning calls are starting to sound awfully like an alarm."

"Well if you were to set yours once in a while I wouldn't always wake you up"

"Awww, and miss the delightful sound of your voice" she chuckled at his flirty tone, adding in an eye roll even though he couldn't see it.

"You hungry?" he asked, giving her open invitation to breakfast but her stomach immediately churned in response.

"I…ah already ate"

"Oh, ok then" he replied, hurt evident in his voice. She felt a pang of guilt but what else could she do, tell her partner she had turned into a wolf and eaten an innocent bunny?

"What are your plans for today?" she asked to change the topic. They had a rare day off thanks to a successful mission.

"Checking up on me already"

"Fine don't tell me"

"I won't" she heard his slight chuckle, her own laugh bubbling out in response.

"You wound me Riley"

"You'll survive"

She could see his form moving through the kitchen and she watched from the balcony, shaking her head at their banter.

"I know how much you enjoy my shirtless form but really, do you have to stare?" His face appeared in the window and she shot him a look but the knowing smirk remained firmly in place, dimples and all. She willed her hormones under control; he was her protectee after all even if she did…appreciate his looks on occasion.

"Just doing my job" she replied and even to her own ears it sounded a lot like an excuse. Damn him and his charming smile.

"I don't remember admiring your partner being in the manual" She glared at him and his smirk widened. Feeling a little devious she somewhat shyly replied "New addition."

He laughed and the corners of her mouth tugged up in response. Something about the sound stirred the wolf inside her and she gave a small hum.

"Do you want coffee?" he asked once the laughter died down. It was a poor excuse and both of them knew it but neither commented, not really wanting to think about what it meant.

"Sure" she replied, "be there in 5." He sent her his signature charm smile and she did her best to convince herself that it had absolutely no effect on her, protectee echoing in the back of her mind.

3 minutes later she walked through his door and a cup of coffee was unceremoniously thrust into her hand by a still shirtless Gabriel. She wondered if he had noticed or perhaps-and was more likely-he was teasing her. As if he was echoing her thoughts he said in that same cheeky tone "enjoying the view".

"What view?" she quipped but she knew she had been caught staring-again. What was wrong with her? His eyes studied her for a moment and she resisted the urge to growl at him. He must have noticed her discomfort because he looked away and she relaxed slightly. She knew he didn't mean it as a challenge but sometimes it was hard to fight her instincts.

"So what are your plans for today" he asked, giving her an out. "Don't tell me you plan on working."

"Hey, I can have fun" she was pretty sure that her run through the woods proved that not that she could tell him.

"Really" he replied sceptically and she sent him a glare. "Prove it. Come bowling with me" His look was challenging and part of her wanted to accept it-she was never one to back down but the wolf didn't like it, taking it as a challenge to her authority. It was always the worst around the full moon when the wolf refused to be submissive. In the end it was the part of her that wanted to spend time with him (not that she would ever admit it) that one out.

"You're on but be prepared to lose"

"You wish" He drained the rest of his cup and disappeared into his bedroom returning a few minutes later fully dressed.

"Try not to be too disappointed" he said earning him an eye roll as they headed out.

**A/N: Should I continue or just leave it here? Is it good, bad or just my crazy ramblings?**


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: *Looks around suspiciously as she smuggles Josh and Megan out of the building* Ha, take that CBS now they are mine *grows threateningly until police back off*

You can tell I do not own Intelligence by the effect that it is having on my sanity.

**A/N: Firstly thank-you so much for all your feedback, you have no idea how much that means to me. Just to clarify this is not a crossover with Once Upon a Time; there will be nothing to do with that in this. **

The drive to the bowling centre was pretty uneventful, save for a few not so subtle remarks from Gabriel. He just couldn't leave the staring thing alone yet somehow his teasing never seemed to cross that invisible line between them. Despite her earlier unease the wolf inside her liked Gabriel, trusted him. To her he was part of the pack and she would do anything for him. This went deeper than with any other protectee whether he knew it or not. She guessed that he did in his own way.

"You ok, you went quiet on me?" he said, effectively breaking her out of her thoughts.

"Just thinking" she replied, turning her gaze from the parking lot, giving him what she hoped was a reassuring look.

"About…" he prodded gently. How did he always do that she wondered, know when she was lying and when to push. He always saw through her so well and she felt a pang of guilt for not being entirely honest with him. But, she reasoned, she would have told him if it was possible. That helped calm her thoughts but like always she still felt bad. Part of her longed for someone she could talk to and be open with but the local pack had quickly kicked her out, seeing her as a threat and ever since then she had always been careful to keep her head down.

"Work" she knew he would see through the lie but hopefully he would let it go, which he reluctantly did as he placed a hand on her back and gently ushered her in. The centre, like most bowling places reeked of junk food and feet. They quickly paid, grabbing their shoes from the bored looking teenager as they made their way towards the flashing lights and music of the lanes. All were free despite it being a Sunday and while Riley was grateful it also meant that all Gabriel's attention would be focused on her. It was getting harder and harder to fool him, no-one knew her as well as he did. Even though this was not a new revelation it constantly surprised her whenever it popped up in her traitorous thoughts.

They traded their shoes for the specialised bowling ones in silence. She tried not to think about how many people had touched them but so many scents wafted up and she shifted uncomfortably. Gabriel was watching her curiously and he sent her a concerned look when she met his eyes. She ducked her head, letting her hair hide her face.

"Riley" she sighed and looked up at him.

"What's going on? You're a little….off today. Are you sure everything's ok?" His eyes held nothing but concern for her and it sent a pang through her heart.

"I'm fine" she said, the words a little harsher than she had intended. He didn't flinch and met her gaze steadily.

"You can talk to me" his words held no expectation and she relaxed slightly.

"I'll be fine" This time she met his gaze without hesitation and whatever he must have seen in his eyes satisfied him but she could still see the unasked question in his gaze. He was still worried about her but he was giving her space.

"Well what are we sitting around here for then?" she laughed and his eyed crinkled at her in return, both glad to be back to their regular banter. Gabriel walked over to the ball rack and picked up what must have been the third heaviest ball, holding it up no doubt showing off. She smiled internally and with a newfound confidence she marched over, inserting a slight sway to her hips. His eyes followed her movements as she easily picked up the next ball, holding it up as if it was a basketball. The look of utter bewilderment on his face was almost comical and she struggled not to laugh. That was another advantage of lycanthropy: strength. There was no way he was going to beat her however never one to be outdone he tried anyway, going down the end and picking up the heaviest ball. He held it up in triumph but she could see the muscles in his arms struggling with the effort. She shook her head at him, putting aside her ball and plucking it from his hands.

"Pick your jaw up Gabriel" she teased. Riley knew she was toeing the line and had probably gone a little too far but the look on his face was totally worth it.

"I knew you took fitness seriously but really? Since when can you do that?" She merely smiled at him in reply; glad to have the upper hand for once.

This didn't last long however. Half way through their little tournament she had come to learn that while she was good at bowling Gabriel was better. Her aim was good but he seemed to know how to spin the ball just the right amount in order to knock the pins over. Not to mention that watching him was rather…distracting. Not that she had been looking. And she certainly had not been watching the way he would study the pins like they were his opponent or the way his brow would crease as he considered the best strategy. Or the way his muscles would tense as he held the ball, pulling back and sliding it down the lane with ease. And she most definitely did not enjoy the nice view of his ass.

She blamed it on the moon.

Gabriel, being Gabriel of course noticed the looks he had been getting from his partner and he couldn't resist teasing her.

"Your turn" he said after he had caught her staring again. The flustered look on his regularly composed partner's face made the corners of his mouth tip up in a smile. She made sure her elbow came into contact with his stomach when she walked past.

"Well it's hardly my fault you were staring" Riley sent him a glare in reply. She could feel his eyes on her and she used that to her advantage, extending parts of her movements ever so slightly as she took her turn.

The ball rolled down the lane and collided with the pins in a crash of victory. Strike. She turned to Gabriel just in time to catch his eyes on her and she smiled knowingly at him.

Riley 1-Gabriel 0

This continued on for the rest of the game, both partners unaware of how far they had gone until they were standing toe to toe, barely a breath apart. All Riley could smell was his scent and she barely resisted the urge to burrow into his warmth. His eyes were dark as they gazed into hers and she gave a shudder. It wasn't until Riley's phone untimely started to ring the two jumped apart, the chip in Gabriel's head alerting him to a phone call from Lillian moments later. The pair shared a look between them, equal parts apology and disappoint. Their day off was over.

**A/N: I think they were slightly out of character in this chapter but I was having way too much fun with them. **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry this is so late, I have been sick :(**

**If any of you are interested I have a full length completed story out called As the World Looks On and I would love it if you checked it out :)**

One month later

"Gabriel" Riley growled, hands firmly planted on her hips, tone dripping in warning. Her glare was hot enough even Lillian would have been intimidated had she been there. The man in question gave no indication of fear, glaring stubbornly right back. That was a personality trait both Agents possessed and while it had proved helpful in many situations it didn't exactly constitute arguments.

Especially when they were standing across the road from a warehouse belonging to several drug dealers armed to the teeth with goodness knows what and he had the stupid idea of going in and taking a look around. Yeah, because that would really end well. Why was it that when Gabriel said he wanted to go for a run she agreed? And how was it they ended up in this district in the first place where they coincidentally came across all this? Damn it, she should have known better but it was too late to turn back now.

"No" he replied firmly, matching her tone. Part of him was well aware that Riley was right and it had been a stupid idea in the first place but his pride prevented him from telling her so. That and the fact that she possessed the unique ability to get under his skin, something that he admired despite the fact that it never failed to annoy him.

"Gabriel" she said again, mildly exasperated. Arguing with him was akin to arguing with a brick wall: nothing penetrated. They didn't pay her enough for this.

"It will never work" she spoke slowly, as if talking to a child (and in some ways she was.)

"Of course it will" he replied. She sighed, running a hand loosely through her already messed up hair. Closing her eyes and willing Lillian, wherever she was to give her the patience to deal with him she offered the only thing she could: a compromise.

"Oh" he said when she finished explaining the details, raising an eyebrow. It took a considerate amount of willpower not to just handcuff him to his desk every morning and be done with all of this. He could be so infuriating sometimes and right now the wolf inside her wanted nothing more than to growl him into submission. Drawing on what little patience she had left (which was admittedly not much) she took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as she considered him.

"It's this or nothing" Her stare was challenging and as much as Gabriel wanted to glare back something about her posture was sending up alarm bells.

"Fine" he grumbled, defeated. She could have just about done a happy dance at that point but knowing any sign of victory would change his mind she kept the smile off her face, indicating him to stay behind her as they put this (completely stupid) plan in place.

* * *

Her eyelids slowly fluttered open as she took in her surroundings. She felt warm and comfortable, her mind pleasantly foggy. The wolf inside her hummed, a feeling of safety washing over her. She could feel a heartbeat beneath her ear, a familiar scent assaulting her senses.

_Mmmmm, Gabriel_

_Wait, What?_

_Crap_

Riley shot up, immediately regretting it as her head spun. She blinked the sleep out of her eyes, ignoring the pounding in her head as her stomach lurched. And then, barely a second later her thoughts aligned and it hit her: Gabriel, warehouse, drugs, and a sweet smelling cloth being pressed over her mouth. Lillian was going to kill them, that's if the drug dealers didn't do it first. She should have paid closer attention but it was so close to the moon and there were so many smells to sort through she had been a second too late. She felt Gabriel shift beside her and moved her hand to shake him awake (and scold him for all he was worth) but it caught on something hard and metallic. She tugged experimentally, causing Gabriel to groan.

_Oh, No_

_Please no_

One quick glance down confirmed her fear: they were handcuffed. Together. His right hand to her left one. They had to get out of these immediately. There was no way she could stay handcuffed to him, he would drive her crazy, not to mention the moon was only 2 days away and she could already feel the moonlight sending goose bumps over her flesh. She could probably tear through them but it would hurt and Gabriel was already awake. Maybe she could chew through them.

"Riley" He said, struggling into a sitting position. His voice was hoarse, hair adorably sleep mused and the stubble from this morning still gracing his chin. She quickly glanced away, swallowing thickly. He was her protectee for goodness sake, she shouldn't be thinking about him like that. No wonder she had been distracted but they couldn't afford that luxury, especially not now.

"This is all your fault" she snapped. When in doubt: deflect. He would likely catch her out but she was just angry enough to pull it off with enough conviction to have him immediately denying it. She merely glared at him until he stopped talking.

"Whose idea was this?" Her words dripped danger like caramel and he wondered if he had crossed the line to angry. As fun as pushing her buttons was Riley angry was definitely not a pleasant prospect.

"Mine" he admitted begrudgingly, giving her his best charming smile and showing his dimples, reminding himself that she would only sense panic. It was at this moment that he tried to move his hand and discovered what she had minutes before. _Well this isn't so bad_ his traitorous mind snickered and he immediately shot down all the thoughts that followed of Riley cuffed in an entirely different situation. He should not be thinking of his partner that way, especially not when they were in danger.

"We need to find a way out of here" he said, glancing around the bare room. It appeared to be some kind of small office space. They were lying in the centre of the floor and all the windows were at least twice his height up. The door appeared to be solid metal and he was willing to bet bolted on the outside.

"No kidding" she replied, sarcasm dripping from every word. Yep, she was definitely angry at him.

"Look I'm just as unhappy about this as you are" the look she shot him said otherwise but he continued on "but right now we need to find a way out of this before Lillian finds out." She knew he was right but she shot him one last warning look to put him in his place before she turned away to run a critical eye over the room they were in. Finding no way out but out except the windows she gestured for Gabriel to follow her. After a bit of manoeuvring (and cursing) she managed to pull him behind her over to the wall. The windows were nearly twice their height but there were two of them and if he could lift her up high enough she could grab the ledge and pull him up behind her. Apparently the drug dealers thought handcuffing them was enough because they had been kind enough to leave the windows open.

Getting up there was easier said than done. His hand was firmly clasped in hers to stop the cuffs from digging in (at least that's what she kept telling herself), her feet on his shoulders as he held his cuffed hand up as high as possible, his other hand supporting her balance.

"Ow, geez"

"Stop moving"

"Well stand still"

"Ug, Gabriel"

By some miracle they managed to stay in place long enough for her to reach upwards, her fingers barely brushing against the ledge.

"I've almost got it, stand on your toes so I can reach" she said.

"Are you kidding me, we'll topple right over" he snapped back.

"Well maybe if you had some balance"

"Hey, don't blame it on me if you're too short" He clamped his mouth shut, realising how it sounded.

"Riley, I…"

"Don't; let's just get out of here" he detected barely a hint of sadness in her voice but it was enough to make him feel guilty. Why couldn't he have kept his mouth shut?

"Ok. I'm going to lean against the wall and then rise up, try not to hurt yourself" She braced herself as they moved the last few millimetres and she gripped the edge of the ledge in triumph.

"Got it"

"Now let's hope all that strength training of yours pays off" He winced, mentally scolding himself. He was digging himself into a deeper hole and pretty soon he wouldn't be able to get out. But she was just so damn distracting; especially when he had a particularly nice view…_Nope, not going there._

"I'm going up, ready?"

"As I'll ever be"

She lifted them with ease and a surprising amount of grace. Sure she had lifted a bowling ball but this was two awkwardly shaped heavy objects, he was kind of awed.

But that was quickly overcome with fear when he realised exactly why the drug dealers hadn't bothered to close the windows.

**A/N: Do you know what would be completely amazing? A review. Or a hug from Josh Holloway. A girl can dream…**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I feel bad about the lack of updates so here is another chapter :)**

They were met by two mean and hungry looking Rottweilers, who were snarling at them directly below the window. Riley felt the wolf inside her react to the threat, a growl tearing itself from her throat, low and menacing. It prickled along Gabriel's spine as he felt her body tense, muscles coiling and shifting. The dogs barked but backed up a few steps, sensing her as a threat bigger than themselves.

"Riley" Gabriel nudged her shoulder in alarm. She made a small sound of acknowledgement but her eyes remained firmly locked onto the dogs as she continued to growl.

"We need to get out of here now" He nudged her harder this time and when she looked at him he wasn't sure what to make of it, almost falling off the ledge they were precariously balanced on. But whatever he had seen in her eyes was gone almost as soon as it came. He swallowed and pointed to across the warehouse. It had been emptied out and she followed his line of sight to a series of wires and coils, packed onto a solid object: a bomb.

"Crap" she mumbled. "Can you hack the timer with the chip?"

"No can do, its old school"

"Just our luck. Let's move" Before he could stop her she jumped off the ledge, landing gracefully. Thanks to the cuffs he was pulled down after her, landing a lot harder than he would have liked. The dogs immediately closed in and in a moment of panic he tried to drag her away but Riley stayed put. Gabriel wasn't entirely sure what happened next but she growled again, shoulders hunching as she glared at the dogs. They whimpered, halting their forwards progress. She edged around them, keeping herself between them and Gabriel as she made her way out as fast as she dared. Wolf was mad, wolf wanted to fight, to tear into their flesh and show them he was hers and she barely kept control over herself, feeling her instincts fighting against her.

The second they were free of the doors she grabbed his hand and bolted for the tree line, barely ducking behind and covering him before the blast hit, knocking both of them over. She could feel the heat on her back, small objects hitting her and burning through her flesh. Thankfully the wounds were only shallow and healed in a matter of seconds. She was breathing heavily and thankfully he was breathing under her. It was then she noticed just how close they were and shifted, climbing off him whilst telling herself not to be too disappointed.

"Riley" he mumbled, sounding a lot quieter than she should, his tone alarming her.

"Are you ok?" she asked gently, kneeling beside him.

"I…I can't see anything"

* * *

"What were you thinking?" Lillian's tone was sharp and it sent shivers down her spine. She held back a whimper, swallowing and with some reluctance meeting her boss's eyes. Lillian was in charge, she was authority and it was intimidating.

"I tried to stop him but you know how stubborn he can be" She managed to keep her tone even but had to tear her eyes away from Lillian's scrutinizing gaze.

"You are here to protect him and that's exactly what I expect you to do"

"I know Lillian" She looked down in shame, not knowing what else to say. Lillian almost felt bad for her, after all she really had tried but sometimes Gabriel's stubbornness got the better of him and pulled those around him down. He had been better since Riley had been recruited, she couldn't be faulted there.

"Like it or not it happened Riley, let's move forewords and learn from our mistakes. Gabriel is going to be fine, Doctor Cassidy said that the blindness is only temporary and is a direct result of him looking at the explosion. The chip hasn't been affected and there was no way you could have prevented that, it's on him. Now no doubt he is going to be a pain in the ass until he can see again, which according to Cassidy should be within a couple of days so in the meantime he is to stay with you and you are to keep a close eye on him, are we clear?" her tone left no room for argument and Riley swallowed thickly.

"Is there a problem?" Lillian asked after Riley remained silent. Her tone had taken on the sharp tone again and she shrunk back.

"Well Lillian, I…" she trailed off as the rest of the sentence refused to come out. None of her other bosses had been this intimidating but over their time together Lillian had become part of her pack, the hierarchy and she was angry, in a wolf pack that meant a fight, possibly to the death and though she knew Lillian wasn't a wolf and would never do that she couldn't help the fear that came along with it.

"I am well aware of your requirements Agent Neil but right now Gabriel needs you" Riley had no choice but to agree. The moon was in less than two days and there was no way he could be anywhere near her when she changed. What was she going to do?

* * *

Seeing no other option she followed Lillian's orders and took Gabriel home with her. It took some manoeuvring and quite a bit of teamwork to lead him carefully to the car and then to her doorway but they managed it, Gabriel giving her his full trust. Once they were inside getting Gabriel settled into the guest room was surprisingly easy, save for a few minor mishaps. He let go of her elbow and felt the edge of the bed, gingerly sitting down. It was clear he was miserable though whether it was because he couldn't see or a result of the thorough scolding Lillian gave him earlier she wasn't sure but one thing she did know: misery loves company.

"Beer?" she offered. He nodded and she left to grab the requested object, returning moments later with 2 bottles, nudging his elbow to lead him into the lounge room.

"Riley?" he said once they were comfortably seated across from one another.

"Hmm?"

"I'm sorry. I backed you into a corner and if it wasn't for me none of this would have happened" his tone was full of apology. She shook her head, realising a moment later he couldn't see it she said "I know Gabriel, its ok. I should have stopped you"

"Well I didn't give you much of a say"

"No you didn't" They laughed and she clicked their bottles together. "I can't say I ever want to be handcuffed to you again"

"Am I really that bad?" he sent her a wounded look but she only laughed.

"Yes. Would it kill you to take a shower now and again?" She was only joking, after all he smelled kind of nice, better than nice actually. Fantastic. Not that she was ever going to tell him that.

"I will have you know I shower daily"

"Do you use any soap?"

"Yes as a matter of fact" She had been kind of hoping he would tell her what kind. It smelled kind of spicy and went well with his natural scent.

"You know in a way you're lucky you can't see?"

"Really, how so?"

"You were spared from seeing the look Jameson gave us when he undid the cuffs"

"Was it really that bad?"

"Oh yes"

Their laughter filled the room and for a moment Riley could almost forget about the upcoming full moon.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I was not expecting the amazing response I received for the last two chapters, thank-you so much :)**

**If you have twitter you should follow Riley and Gabriel at favsuperweapon and secret_riley**

Riley awoke to the sound of footfalls outside her bedroom door and had it not been for the 'ouch' and subsequent curses that followed she would have been out of bed and down the hall, gun in hand in less than two seconds. Of course it was too late to go back to sleep now and even though she knew she should get out of bed and help him she was kind of miffed that he had woken her up (not to mention she was still mad about this whole mess) so she stayed in bed, enjoying the sounds of a blind Gabriel trying to make his way around her apartment. After a few minutes he found his way into her bedroom and she watched amused as he stumbled around the room trying to determine if she was awake.

Her plan backfired when his legs hit the edge of the bed, momentum causing him to fall moments later. He landed with an 'oomph' right in the centre, half draped over her.

"Guess you're awake now, huh?" his smile was sheepish, eye just a little bit too far to the left. His hair was adorably tussled, sleep shirt askew and track pants on backwards. She fought the blush that blossomed on her cheeks despite the fact that he couldn't see it, not entirely sure whether to growl or nuzzle into him. Though the latter was very tempting he was still waiting for an answer (not to mention still draped over her which felt a whole lot nicer than it should.)

"What gave you that idea?" His face fell and she let him stew for a few moments before she started laughing, him following suite moments later.

"You are so mean to me"

"You woke me up"

"Touché"

Gabriel seemed to realise just how close they were and he mumbled an apology before climbing ungracefully off her. Thanks to his lack of sight this brought the pair face to face, only centimetres separating them. It sent her heartbeat into overdrive, his closeness overriding all her senses.

_Notgoodnotgoodnotgood_ a voice in her head (that sounded suspiciously like Lillian) said but she had to admit it felt pretty damn good. Sadly Gabriel was unaware of just how close they were and with a regretful sigh she climbed out of bed, reaching out to nudge him in the right direction.

…

"Over here boss" His second in command pointed to a building across the street. With a nod his pack followed him and sure enough after a quick sniff around he could smell her scent. He reacted to it, almost turning right there in the middle of the street. This was her territory and he knew from experience just how powerful she was. If she wasn't a woman she would have been alpha, even then he barely escaped with his life. But that was all going to change now, thanks to a tip off he knew something he hadn't before and her, along with that so called secret weapon of hers was going to make him a tidy sum of money when he sold both to the Chinese.

He indicated to his pack to cover him as he risked a peak closer to the building. She would know he had been here; his scent was too strong to hide especially this close to the moon. _Let her know_, he thought, _let her know what's coming for her._

….

Riley stood against the kitchen counter watching as Gabriel unsuccessfully tried to fork a piece of his steak. She always had meat when the moon was this close and even though she had already finished hers the scent hung in the air deliciously, stirring the wolf. Despite the fact that the full moon wasn't for another night she could already feel its effects, as most wolves did for the first two nights. It was only on the third night, the true full moon wherein a werewolf was forced to change however most wolves chose to change on all three. Unfortunately she wasn't most wolves and her job prevented a lot of things but up until now it hadn't been a problem. She was hoping that his eyesight would return before tomorrow night but that wasn't looking likely. She couldn't just leave him with someone else, it was her job to protect him and that's what she was going to do, she just had to figure out how.

"Something wrong?" she was broken out of her thoughts at the sound of Gabriel's voice. She must have been quiet for too long because he was looking in her direction, forehead creased in worry.

"No" she said, a little too quickly and the worry lines on his face intensified. She swallowed, replying a little more gently "everything is fine."

"You're worried about me?" his tone held no accusation which helped to calm the wolf slightly.

"I'm always worried about you" she replied, keeping her tone light.

"As flattered as I am that's not everything" she sighed, running a hand loosely through her hair. She wanted to tell him but she had learnt the hard way that was never a good idea. The lying was starting to get to her though, as was the moon and this whole mess. Usually she thrived under pressure but now she just felt boxed in, trapped. Alone.

"Gabriel" it came out as a breathy sigh and for a moment she could have sworn a look of understanding crossed his unseeing eyes but it was gone as quickly as it had come.

"We're partners Riley, you know you can talk to me" his voice was quiet, gentle. It made her feel something that she hadn't felt in a long time: safety.

"I can't Gabriel, not with this. I wish I could"

"I understand" she could hear the hurt in his voice and more than anything she wished it didn't have to be like this. For a moment she indulged the thought of just telling him and even though she knew it could never happen it made her feel a little bit better.

"So what's for dessert?" he asked to lighten the mood.

"Dessert?"

"Aww, you mean I don't get dessert?" he mocked a wounded look in the direction of her footsteps and he could just about sense her eyes roll.

"However will you survive?" She laughed and he smiled in her direction. He knew she would be ok, at least for the moment. She had been acting strangely on and off ever since he met her, always trying to push him away whenever the mysterious day off of hers came around and it worried him. She was hiding something and getting her to open up was hard but he was determined to help her, he just had to figure out how.


	6. Chapter 6

_Wrong, wrong, wrong_ her mind screamed as she struggled to keep her feet underneath her. The nausea rolled through her in waves threatening to take away what little control she had left but she forced it back, urging her feet to move one step then another. Riley made it to the bathroom, shutting the door and leaning heavily against it. _Damn it, that was too close_ she thought, struggling to catch her breath. The moon was only a couple of hours away and it was threatening to take her but she couldn't change, not yet. Not when Gabriel was in the next room watching TV and didn't seem to be in a hurry to go to bed.

_Half an hour_, she reminded herself. She just had to last another half hour and Jameson would be here to take over the protection detail. Yeah, she could do that. Taking a deep breath she stumbled over to the sink, catching her reflection in the mirror. She looked absolutely terrible; a complete mess almost like she had the flu but there was an edge, a ripple of energy beneath the surface, something wild. There was no way Gabriel or Jameson for that matter wouldn't notice something was up. Sighing she washed her face and neatened her hair as best she could but it didn't make much of a difference. With her temperature this high and the nausea rolling through her one look and Gabriel would demand that she go to the hospital which was one of the worst places to be around the full moon-there was far too many people.

A sound caught her attention, her head snapping up before she could stop the canine like action. With her hearing this astute it didn't take long to determine that it was Gabriel's footfalls she could hear. Riley held her breath as the click of the TV turning off followed by the sound of footfalls reached her ears. It felt like an eternity as he shuffled around the guest room getting ready for bed but eventually she heard the click of the light switch followed by the rustling of sheets. It couldn't have been a moment too soon, she felt trapped and there was no way she could last much longer before the change claimed her. As quietly as she could she pulled on a hoodie, quickly scribbling a note out for Jameson (he would be there in a minute or two so it would be ok she told herself) before she headed out into the night.

If she hadn't been so close to the change she might have noticed the fact that Gabriel had neglected to say goodnight, something he usually made a point of doing.

* * *

Riley crept out into the night, shivering in delight as the moonlight swept over her. The street was dark and empty, a cold wind rustling her clothing though she barely registered it. Keeping close to the side of the building and (hopefully) out of sight she silently made her way to the alleyway that separated her building from Gabriel's and she was preparing to cross the street when she stopped short, hackles raised. She was neither human nor wolf now and even though both parts of her registered it in different ways the unmistakable feeling was there. Someone had been there, someone who shouldn't be. _Someone who was dead._ This sent an entirely new kind of shiver through her, one that had nothing to do with the moon or wind. A low growl tore itself free from her throat as she cautiously crept towards the scent. It was still fresh but there were several others layered on top, meaning it was a day or two old. This newfound knowledge did nothing to calm her nerves. _It shouldn't be here, no, no, no, no, no. _

The rational part of her, the one that would have stopped, taken stock of the situation and searched for clues was gone, replaced by canine instinct that screamed at her to find the perpetrator and _kill_. The wolf inside her shook with pleasure at the notion and clawed at her, demanding to be set free. Something was off though and she tilted her head, trying to determine what was wrong. Her ears picked up the faint sound of…breathing? It was then that she had the distinct sensation of being watched. She growled as she slowly turned, eyes catching sight of something but it was too late as the wolf tore itself free from her body, her blood boiling as bones shifted and re-arranged themselves, skin was replaced by fur, her last rational thought a name on the tip of her tongue: _Gabriel_.

* * *

Gabriel stared in shocked horror as the scene unfolded before him. The whole thing must have lasted barely a minute but every second integrated itself inside his memory, burned into it never to be forgotten. He had followed her outside, his plan falling into place perfectly. Not long after Dr Cassidy declared him blind his eyesight had started to return but once again Riley had been acting funny, aggressively pushing those closest to her away and he was determined to get to the bottom of it. When Lillian put them together, on the mysterious day off no less it was too good of an opportunity to find out what was going on. He had meant well, only trying to help her overcome whatever demons she was facing but this, whatever this was definitely wasn't what he had been expecting.

A low menacing growl brought him back to the present as the wolf that had once been his partner bared its teeth at him. Physically he processed all this, Riley turning around and catching sight of him, something wrong with her gaze and the way she was standing, Riley to wolf, no Riley turning _into_ a wolf, a pile of torn clothes on the ground where she had been standing and finally the wolf in front of him. But it wasn't a wolf, not really. The chip processed this, comparing what was in front of him with photos of various wolf species but none matched. It was far too large to be any kind of regular wolf, a new species perhaps? He studied it as he would a piece of evidence, the chip eliminating every possibility until he was left with just one, found in one of the darkest corners of the internet. It was a photo, blurry and unreliable at best. Its coat was a different colour and its overall shape was bulkier, possibly male but it was unmistakeably the same species as what stood in front of him now.

_Werewolf._

But they didn't exist, not in the real world. Books and movies perhaps but to have one standing in front of him was unnerving to say the least. The chip processed all this logically and came to the conclusion that yes, the beast currently growling at him was in fact a werewolf and he should probably move out of its way but part of him had become disconnected from reality, unable to process any of it. _Riley to wolf, Riley turning into a wolf, Riley is a Werewolf_, the phrases turned themselves over in his mind but none of them seemed to take root. This must be some kind of a dream, brought on by a concussion perhaps but the logical part of him said yes, he was indeed awake and what was standing in front of him was in fact real. It had once been his partner, no it _was_ his partner. That thought snapped him out of the trance, his mind whirling around until it hit him all at once.

_Riley is a werewolf._

But what scared him more than finding out that his partner could change into a mythological creature was that said creature was bearing its teeth at him and preparing to attack. It wasn't a creature, not really. Part of it was still Riley, his Riley, right? She would never hurt him. Searching the internet for wolf behaviour he realised that the posture was defensive rather than offensive. Keeping his eyes on her he slowly lowered himself onto his knees as a sign of submission, keeping his movements as slow and deliberate as possible. She appeared confused and the two stood there, as still as the night around them but then, for barely a moment he saw a flash of recognition flash through her eyes seconds before she darted past him, a flash of fur disappearing into the night.

**A/N: I am really sorry for the lack of updates but I feel like if I had forced this chapter I would not have been happy with it, like I wasn't with the last. I am glad I waited because this turned out better than I expected. There are only a few more chapters to go now, thank-you all for sticking with me.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Another update, enjoy :) Reviews are all things shiny and sparkly ;)**

He stood there for a long time, staring at the place where Riley disappeared. Nothing happened, though he didn't know exactly what he had been expecting, some kind of sign perhaps but nevertheless he saw no other course of action than to wait for her to return so he gathered up the torn remnants of her clothes and disposed of them, scouring the area for any other evidence that remained before getting back to her apartment. His movements were mechanical and didn't register but he was back in her apartment and Jameson was saying something about sleep. Vaguely the thought occurred to him that he should be pretending to be blind but he couldn't seem to make his body move. Eventually Jameson must have realised he was getting no-where talking to him in this state because the Agent tugged on his arm and led him into the guest bedroom.

He sat on the bed, trying to process exactly what had happened. He could hear Jameson moving around the apartment but it was loud and awkward, nothing like Riley's purposeful movements. Riley, his thoughts kept circling back to her. Despite everything that happened he couldn't help worrying about her. A werewolf loose in Washington DC, had it not been Riley the thought would have made him laugh. There was nothing to do except wait, something he was not good at as his partner was constantly reminding him. He could almost hear her now, _oh come on Gabriel it's only been half an hour, you are such a child_. The thought helped to calm him slightly. There was nothing he could do for her now but there was no way he was getting any sleep tonight. If he couldn't help her he could at least find out more about what she was. He lay back, letting the chip fill his mind with myths, information and all kinds of outrageous stories about werewolves.

* * *

She darted through the forest, howling at the moon in delight. She was free, a whole world of trees and earth laid out in front of her, hers to explore. A scent caught her attention and the veered off to the right, following it to the source. The rabbit was quickly devoured, followed by a bird that was unfortunate enough to find itself trapped between her jaws. The feathers felt wrong inside her mouth so she left it largely uneaten. There were so many new scents to explore and with the moon casting its brilliant glow over her she felt invincible. Something kept nagging at her though, the eyes of the stranger haunting her. There was something eerily familiar about them; they almost made her feel….safe. She quickly shook it off, darting under a fallen tree branch, lingering near an interesting scent. In her world there was no such thing as safe.

When sunlight broke through the night she knew it was almost time to change. She could feel the moonlight fading but longed for its comforting touch a little longer. The change was brutal, her memories of the time before bombarding her full force. It was a lot to sort through and she sat on a large boulder panting, trying to process them all. Her clothes weren't where she usually left them nor was the forest she was in familiar. She remembered a strange scent catching her attention but she didn't remember changing, had it happened in the alleyway? That made sense but why? Vaguely she recalled a strange image, left over from her wolf senses. Images of a strangers eyes. Except it wasn't a stranger, it was Gabriel.

_Oh no…_

_Had she…_

_Yes, she had._

_How was she going to explain this?_

Riley ran a hand through her hair, processing it all. Gabriel knew there was no doubt about it. She just hoped he hadn't told anyone. This was Gabriel though; he would have kept her secret, right? She could only hope. They were going to have a long conversation when she got back but the most pressing matter currently was figuring out where she was and, most importantly finding some clothes. Something kept bugging her though, how had he found her when he couldn't see anything? Surely the chip wasn't that powerful. And then a thought occurred to her and it was just so outrageous and unbelievable that there was no doubt in her mind it was true.

_Damn it Gabriel_

She wasn't the only one who had some explaining to do.

* * *

Taking a deep breath Riley unlocked her door, grateful she had taken the time to hide an emergency key. Pausing for barely a breath to gather her courage she walked in, acknowledging Jameson with a nod, who was stretched out on the couch before disappearing into her bedroom, a decent impression of her usual self she decided. Luck seemed to be on her side today and she had found a house not too far from where she was. The owners had left washing out overnight (why she had no idea) and she managed to snag a pair of jeans and hoodie around her size. Although she felt bad it was better than the alternative and she was betting she wasn't the only werewolf who had snatched clothes from a property on the edge of a forest (it was a grossly underestimated just how many clothes went missing from back porches across America.)

After a quick shower and change of clothes she greeted Gabriel in the kitchen (now that she knew he had been faking his condition it was obvious he was no-where near blind.) Jameson waved goodbye as he left, glad to have the rest of the day off. As soon as he left Gabriel turned to her and she held up a hand to stop the onslaught of questions before giving him her best death glare and he immediately sobered (her death glare was remarkably similar to her 'I'm going to kill you for this' look and it was amazing how much of an effect the later had.) She arched an eyebrow, silently demanding an explanation. He gave her his best charming smile, dimples and all but she could see a hint of nervousness behind it. Had it not been for the fact that he had seen her turn into a wolf she would have torn into him for this. As it was she could feel the anger bubbling inside but she pushed it back, ignoring the feeling of betrayal. She would hear him out and reserve judgement until the end.

"Well…" he started, not quite unsure of himself but certainly on that road. He took a moment to gather his thoughts into what he hoped would be a satisfying explanation before continuing. "I was worried about you."

She was caught slightly off guard by his blunt honestly, swallowing a sudden lump in her throat. He let it soak in for a moment, studying her features. She looked tired and worn out, her skin almost transparent.

"I know you are probably angry with me and you have every right to be, I shouldn't have invaded your privacy like this but I was sick of you pushing me away and suddenly disappearing for the night. I wanted to help you" he finished, realising he had been rambling. Geez he hadn't done that since high school but damn, the woman made him nervous.

"And is this anything like what you had in mind?" she asked, meeting his eyes.

"No" he admitted sheepishly.

"Gabriel" his name came out as a breathy sigh. Clearly she did not want to be having this conversation any more than he did but she pushed on anyways.

"Just because you have the right intention does not mean you can magically solve everyone else's problems. Some things are secret for a reason."

He acknowledged her words with a nod, using his eyes to convey his apology.

"Why didn't you tell me at the start?"

"Would you have believed me?"

"No but couldn't you have showed me?"

"And then what? Sure you might keep it a secret but after a while you get comfortable with it and then, without meaning to it just slips out. And it might not seem like much to you but suddenly my life and the lives of millions of others get turned upside-down. This is bigger than just you and me; it has been kept strictly secret for thousands of years for a very good reason."

"Then why didn't you say you couldn't tell me?"

"We are still talking about you right?"

He smiled and she let her lips curve upwards in response, glad they were back to normal. She still had a lot of explaining to do but she was sure he would be able to handle it; after all he wasn't like everyone else. He understood her in a way no-one else had and she was grateful to finally have that in her life.

"So does this mean vampires are real too?" he asked, smiling so wide the corners of his eyes creased.

"No" she replied, matching his smile. What Gabriel didn't know wouldn't hurt him.


	8. Chapter 8

Gabriel groaned and rolled over but the obnoxious bleating noise continued to penetrate the fog of his early morning thoughts. He blindly reached out and snagged the offending object from the night stand, punching the buttons harder than necessary.

"Hi Gabriel" Riley's cheerful voice greeted him as he answered the call (he was pretty sure she did it just to annoy him.)

"Hey what's up?" He replied, voice groggy from disuse.

"I can't just call to say hi?"

"Anytime Riley but its five am so I am guessing this isn't a social call" he could practically feel her eyes roll and his own lifted in response.

"Well….you remember how I told you about my old pack back in Denver?"

"Yeah" he replied, suddenly on alert. She had told him the story yesterday about how the pack that had originally accepted her turned on her as she grew stronger, viewing her as a threat. That alone made him want to find them and give them a piece of his mind and if he did ever cross paths with them, werewolves or not it wouldn't be pretty.

"This is going to sound crazy but the leader, Michael"

"The one you killed?"

"Yeah. I swear he was outside my apartment" her voice was calm but he could hear a hint of fear and it set his nerves on edge. If Riley was scared it meant the threat was serious.

"When?"

"The scent was from a couple of days ago but there was a fresh layer again this morning."

"And your sure?" he asked. It was still strange to hear her talk about scents but he was gradually becoming accustomed to it.

"It's not something I could ever forget" He could tell it was bothering her and he couldn't imagine how she felt having the memories dragged up after all this time. He knew she wasn't proud of her actions but it had been fight or die and she had offered to let Michael leave with his life but he had attacked again and she was left with no other option. He understood that, perhaps better than anyone and he could never fault her.

"Maybe it's a ghost?"

"Not helping"

"Sorry. Were there any other clues?"

"Like what?"

"You're the werewolf expert here, if he really was there how did he survive and why now, what does he want?"

"I wish I knew" She sounded exhausted, clearly this was the last thing she wanted to happen especially after he had just discovered her secret but he was glad she had called him. He wondered if that made him selfish but the least he could do was be there for her.

"Do you have any contacts, someone who might know something?"

"No, I broke off all contact. I am a female who killed their leader; if they ever see me again they'll kill me"

"Sexist bastards" that got a laugh out of her, even if it was only a small one. They were quiet for a few moments, listening to each other's breaths.

"Gabriel" her voice was gentle, not wanting to break the spell they had created.

"Hmmm"

"Thank-you"

"For you anytime. You want some breakfast? Unless there was a midnight snack I don't know about. Next time you eat a rabbit do me a favour and don't share. Ever." He could feel her glare through the wall but she was laughing and he couldn't help laughing along with her.

* * *

Five minutes later she showed up at his door coffees in hand (how did she get them so quickly?) Gabriel sent her a grin as he let her in, an inside joke between the two given how many times she had invited herself in much to his chagrin (it was her job she argued, which then led to him inviting himself into _her _apartment which in turn landed him flat on his ass after he barely had a foot in.) Inside it smelled deliciously like eggs and bacon. She took a long whiff as she set the coffee cups down. Damn he knew her so well. She caught him watching her intently and gave a sigh of indifference because she knew it would annoy him. He rolled his eyes at her and feeling childish she poked her tongue out at him.

"Do that again and I will show you the proper way to use it" he warned. She was almost tempted to just to see if he would follow through on the threat.

"You hungry?"

"I just turned into a wolf, ran through the forest, found out my dead enemy is still alive and stalking me and my best friend knows I am a werewolf. You could say that"

"Best friend? I'm flattered" of all the things she said that's what he picked up on, _go figure_ she thought.

"Don't get used to it"

"Wouldn't dream of it"

"Of course not, that's not nearly kinky enough to make it into your dreams" she said, wiggling her eyebrows.

"Ha, hilarious"

"I thought so"

He shook his head in mock-annoyance as they sat down to eat. It was only slightly alarming how quickly the food was disappearing from her plate.

"Wow you weren't kidding when you said you were hungry"

"Werewolf Gabriel"

"What are we going to do about Michael?" he asked. She paused, swallowing thickly.

"I feel like I'm on one of those crappy teenage vampire shows" Gabriel laughed, keeping the atmosphere light.

"You said werewolves heal quickly, is it possible he wasn't really dead?" he asked around a mouthful of food.

"I know what death looks like, he was dead Gabriel"

"And are you absolutely positive it was him and not just someone waving around an old shirt that belonged to him?"

"I'm not a sniffer dog; I know the difference between a lingering scent and a live one"

"There's a difference?" If she wasn't so worried over the situation she would have found the curious look on his face absolutely adorable.

"Yeah, it's hard to explain but it's kind of like when it comes off something living its sharp and fresh whereas an older scent just sort of hangs there lingering and other scents get layered on top of it."

"I guess being a werewolf has its perks"

"I wouldn't go that far" her eyes were downcast and he took the opportunity to ask her something that had been bugging him for a while now.

"Be honest, if you weren't a werewolf would you be alive right now?"

"Gabriel"

"Riley" his voice was gentle as he tilted her chin up to meet his eyes.

"No" her voice was barely a whisper, the cheerful atmosphere from before long forgotten. He didn't realise he had been leaning in until their lips were barely a breath apart. It would be so easy to lean in and press them together like he had been dreaming of ever since he met her. Reluctantly he pulled away, getting up to clear the table. He cast a glance in her direction and saw the hurt look on her face before she masked it.

One step forwards, two steps back.


	9. Chapter 9

An uncomfortable silence enveloped the pair as they worked side by side to clean the plates, occasionally glancing up when they thought the other wasn't looking. Riley kept her eyes downcast, focusing only on the task at hand. Whenever Gabriel would try to meet her eyes she would look away, not wanting him to see how much he had affected her. When the silence between them became too much Gabriel cleared his throat, cautiously approaching the elephant in the room.

"So uh…about before" _smooth_, he thought sarcastically. This was so much easier when they were bickering. He put the plate he was holding down, drying his hands on his shirt and turning to face her fully. She paused but didn't make a move to put her tea-towel down.

"What about it?" she asked, careful to keep her voice and features neutral. _Damn she has a good poker face_ he thought. He couldn't tell whether she wanted to continue the conversation but he was pretty sure she was protecting herself, the question was from what.

"I didn't mean to make things awkward, I just…"

"No" she cut him off, throwing the towel down harder than necessary. Realising she had just given too much away she took a calming breath, schooling her features. "It's fine, let's just forget about it and move on" He caught her arm as she turned to leave and although her face was still blank he could see the turmoil behind her eyes.

"I won't just forget about it Riley, I can't" he gulped, meeting her eyes and letting all the emotions from two years of partnership he had been so careful to hide surface, conveying them with his eyes. "I like you, probably a lot more than I should but since Amelia I…I just don't know how to move on." He knew how it sounded but he held her eyes, willing her to understand. She did, after all she knew him better than anyone ever had, even Amelia. It had taken a long time for him to accept that and by the time he had he realised it was too late: he had fallen in love with his partner. When the air around them became too electric she looked away and he let the hand on her arm drop.

"What now?" he asked.

"It's been a long time since high school but I'm pretty sure you're supposed to ask me out" He laughed and she felt her lips tug upwards in response. She felt lighter than she had in a long time, the air between them finally clear. Better than that actually, she had wanted this for so long but with so much at stake she never thought it would be possible but with him standing here in front of her, smiling as if she had just given him everything it was…perfect.

"You're ok with slow?" he was still smiling but he looked uncertain, something she found absolutely adorable.

"Yeah" his smile returned full force, dimples and all. Her heart sped up just like it always did when he focused on her but she no longer felt guilty for it. Just as quickly as it came his smile dropped.

"What about work?" she felt her heart sink down when she realised her was right: there was a strict no dating policy and if they were caught they would be separated.

"There is a point in life that you reach where the policies, rules, arguments no longer matter and when you care about someone, really truly care about them nothing can stop you. It's just a piece of paper and there is an exception to every rule and maybe we are that exception. If they can't see that then they aren't worth our time" Gabriel was watching her in awe and she couldn't figure out why. He let the smile he had been holding back spread across his face.

"Just when I think I know everything about you and I couldn't fall for you anymore you surprise me. Your amazing Riley" her cheeks turned red, a small but genuine smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"Wow, we sound pathetic"

"Absolutely"

Gabriel shook his head in mock-annoyance as he linked his arm through hers. "What do you say partner, will you go on a date with me?"

"I suppose" her smile gave her away but she couldn't hide it nor did she want to. For once in her life everything felt perfect.

But perfection never lasts long…

**A/N: I left this chapter shorter because it felt right to end it here.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: What's this? Could it be...yes an update. I was actually planning to just leave the story where it was but amy. d. fuller .9 asked for an update so here you go :)**

It was three am when she heard it, she knew this because the bright red numbers of her bedside clock glowed brightly in the darkness causing her to blink several times. The noise itself was barely a whisper in the wind and were it not for her wolf hearing she wouldn't have even heard it. Of all the sounds of Washington DC this is the one that had woken her up and Riley knew better than to simply discount it and go back to sleep. With the grace and skill of a predator she quietly slid out of bed, barely making a sound as she slid her gun from its holster on her nightstand, grabbing her silver hunting knife at the last second, tucking it into the waistband of her sweatpants. It had been a long time since she had used it but with Michael back from the dead it was her best defence, it's weight sure and comforting against her back. Briefly she considered calling Gabriel but quickly decided against it. There was no way she could drag him into this, it was far too dangerous.

Nerves on high alert she silently slid out of her apartment, keeping to the shadows as she made her way downstairs. Whatever it was she was almost certain it was outside which worked to her advantage as there was no risk of any bystanders getting hurt. There was the added bonus that she knew this area better than her first apartment, which made creeping out incredibly easy. She called the wolf from deep inside her, letting it take over her senses. Smells whizzed by and she sorted through them with ease, eliminating them one by one until she found what she was looking for: the stark, rotten smell of death. Gun out in front she made her way to the alleyway between her building and Gabriel's following the scent. As she reached the corner it became stronger and she knew she was in the right place. Part of her cringed but the wolf part delighted in the possibility of a confrontation.

Rounding the corner the first thing Riley noticed was that she was in fact the only living soul in the alleyway and she barely had time to process the silence as a warning before she was grabbed, her scream lost on the wind.

* * *

Something had woken him up. Gabriel groaned and turned, staring at the bright yellow numbers for several moments before he processed that it was indeed three-o-six am. He rubbed a hand over his eyes, considering rolling over and going back to sleep-this wasn't the first time he had woken up at this hour but something was amiss so with all the reluctance of the first day of school he dragged himself out of bed, barely pausing to grab his firearm before he was out the front door.

Outside it was eerily silent, not even the sound of crickets penetrated the air. The last time he had experienced such silence was moments before a landmine exploded and it immediately sent adrenalin through his system, wiping away all traces of sleep. Following his instincts he went left to the alleyway that separated his building from Riley's.

Gun trained in front of him he paused, noticing an unusual scent in the air, almost like decay. He wished for his partners nose and cursed himself for not calling her. It was too late now and he took a deep breath, steadying his nerves as he rounded that final corner. The alley was empty but something was off about it, setting off his nerves and causing goose bumps to break out across his skin. He couldn't fully explain the feeling that went through him except that it was _wrong_, frightening him in a way he hadn't felt for a long time. Immediately he backed away, giving into the urge to flee and he almost missed the flash of silver that caught his eye. Fighting back his basic instincts he crept towards it, thankful that it was at the very edge of the alley on Riley's side.

The closer he got to it the more dread that filled him. Lying on the ground discarded were a gun and knife, both of which he recognised as Riley's.

_No, please no._

* * *

The second time Riley awoke was far less pleasant than the first, mainly because she was chained to what she assumed was a brick wall, the silver of the cuffs burning her flesh. She knew he was there even before he spoke but his voice still startled her, it was strange hearing it after all this time.

"Aaah, I see you're awake." He came into view and she had to admit she had done a good job with Michael. Ugly, puckered scars covered much of his face and chest, one arm mauled so badly it was almost unrecognisable. Four long claw marks stood out against his throat, far neater than the other scars. It was part of wolf heritage and the mark that she thought killed him. Though she should be frightened the only thing she could think was _Gabriel was right_.

"Sending Demons to do your dirty work, that isn't like you Michael. You look pretty good for a dead man" It sounded like something Gabriel would say, he must have been rubbing off on her. Michael laughed, the sound echoing off the walls around them. It wasn't pleasant but she had just been kidnapped by Demons so it was pretty low on her list. She kept waiting for the fear to come but all she could think about was getting back to Gabriel and she resolved to do exactly that.

"And you would know that, wouldn't you Riley?" he spat her name with venom and for the first time his calm exterior cracked. "I did you a favour by taking you in little pup and this is how you repay me?"

"Guess I'm not such a little pup anymore then" he sneered at her and she growled in response. For a moment they stayed like that, locked in a battle of wills but her captor seemed to realise she was at a distinct disadvantage because he smiled cockily, shaking his head. His hair shook with the movement, several scents floating past her as he did so. The main thing that stood out was sea-salt and that, combined with the sound of the waves in the distance told her she was most likely in an abandoned warehouse on the lower west side, probably not far from the docks.

"Poor little wolf, all tied up" He was within a millimetre of her reach and as much as she would like to tear that cocky look right off his face she knew she couldn't reach and she was betting he did too. He had always been ruled by his pride and perhaps she could use it to her advantage. None of her old pack had been in here as far as she could determine which meant they probably also thought he was dead, which explained the Demons. The creatures themselves had no real form, they were simply wisps of darkness that carried the scent of decay and an intensely bad feeling, most commonly followed by death. While they definitely were not her favourite creatures these were merely lesser Demons, driven by a hunger they could never fulfil. Even now they seemed to hover around him, feeding on his fear. That most likely meant part of him was still afraid of her. She could work with that.

Riley met his eyes, glaring. It was a clear act of defiance and he tensed, growling at her. She growled back and it increased his level of anger.

"What do you think you're doing little wolf?" he knew she hated the nickname but after all this time it had lost its meaning especially after her date with Gabriel, during which he started calling her 'wolfie' just to wind her up.

"Honestly Michael you kidnapped me what did you expect?" This time his growl was louder and it set the Demons on edge. As long as she kept a clear head there was no reason for them to come near her.

"Shut up!" he slapped her, sending a shock of pain through her nose and she immediately bit back, just managing to scrape her teeth across the back of his hand. Next time he was stupid enough to do that she would take a few fingers off. Honestly it would be an improvement.

"You know what you are Little Wolf? A coward. That's right, you couldn't succeed in the pack, you failed to kill me, hell you fell right into my hands"

"And yet I still managed to defeat you" He grabbed her by her hair, pulling her face up to his.

"Don't you ever open your stupid little mouth again" His breath stunk of rotting meat and decaying flesh and for the first time she wondered if she was wrong, perhaps he wasn't as alive as he appeared.

"Like this?" she growled, bearing her teeth and locking onto his nose. Blood filled her mouth and dripped down her chin, disgusting and rotten but she forced herself to hold on. He let go of her hair, raking his claws across her cheek forcing her to let go. She feigned going for his hand, instead scraping her teeth along his jugular. It wasn't deep enough to cause significant damage but it was enough to have him backing away, blood pouring out of the mangled mess of his nose and throat.

"You little..."

"What Michael?" He tossed his head back and howled, causing her to growl in response. Her cheek stung where he had clawed her, blood pouring out and mixing with his. It stirred the wolf, who was held back by the silver.

"When I'm done with you your going to wish I had killed you" he stalked out, holding his nose and leaving a trail of blood as he went. A door slammed and she was left alone. Well not completely, she could still feel the Demons sliding over her skin but she ignored them, focusing on loosening the chains from the wall. There was no way she could break out of the silver and without the strength of the wolf her only hope was that her theory was correct and this was in fact an old warehouse and the bolts were attached to a crumbling wall.

As Riley experimentally pulled dust particles rained down on her. Her wrists and ankles burned, searing pain shooting through her limbs. The smell of burnt flesh filled her senses and she hissed in pain, struggling not to scream and attract attention. She kept pulling, feeling the give little by little. Her breaths were heavy and strained but finally the old wall gave with an enormous creak, releasing the bolts and she fell forwards, barely catching herself before she hit the ground. She stayed like that for a moment panting, straining to hear any sounds that alerted Michael to her escape but she was met with only silence.

Letting the chains trail uselessly behind her she shoved a fist through the first window she came to (if Michael hadn't heard he escape then the sound of breaking glass shouldn't make a difference). She heard them before they entered, two sets of footsteps followed by several more. Damn, had she been wrong about the pack. Left with only two options: stay and fight or make a break for it she took the chains in her hands despite the burning and, deciding they made a pretty good weapon she darted around to behind the door, using the surprise to her advantage.

Sensing hostility the Demons rose up, distracting the first two long enough for her to take them out. They hadn't brought weapons with them, cocky bastards and it was relatively easy. She turned on the rest, getting a decent look at them before they attacked. They were surprising weak, definitely not her old pack probably just lone wolves kicked out from their packs at one point or another and after she took the first few down the rest appeared to back off. The chains, as she learnt indeed made a good weapon and wrapping them around her victim's throat she could strangle them quite quickly. It wouldn't kill them (werewolves were notoriously difficult to kill) but it would leave them knocked out for quite a while. The rest of them chose to run, presumably to fetch re-enforcements and she took the opportunity to take out the rest of the glass and escape into the morning light.


	11. Chapter 11

It hadn't taken Riley long to find a pay phone and even less time for the police to arrive. Apparently she was listed as a missing person (courtesy of Gabriel as she later found out) and though they glanced strangely at her attackers choice of chains they were quickly removed and she was whisked off to Cyber Com and a very anxious Gabriel. Their reunion was cut short by Lillian and she explained (minus the part about supernatural creatures) what happened and pretty soon Michael's face was all over the news. Most of the pack from the warehouse were in custody though they weren't talking. All in all it hadn't ended too badly, she just wished it was over.

"Hey" she looked up from the file she had been pursuing (everything the government could dig up on Michael which admittedly wasn't much) and smiled at Gabriel. He glanced around, making sure their little office tucked in the corner of Cyber Com was void of prying eyes before wrapping his arms around her. She breathed in his scent and they stayed like that for several minutes, just holding each other. Eventually (and far too soon for her liking) he pulled back but remained close to her.

"How are you?" his voice was soft and gentle, calming the wolf inside of her.

"I'm fine" she replied, giving into the urge to nuzzle back into him. He chuckled and she felt the vibration against her cheek.

"I was worried about you. What happened?" he had been there for her explanation to Lillian but he wanted the full version.

"I wasn't expecting him to be in league with Demons and got caught by surprise. Really I'm fine" it was true, her cheek was healed though the burns from the chains would take longer and probably require moonlight.

"Is that what was in the alleyway?" she glanced up at him, noting his expression.

"They were just lesser Demons. Think of them kind of like the physical embodiment of our fears" she explained and he nodded. It was a lot to take in and he was doing surprisingly well.

"So Michael is working with them?"

"It's more like they are feeding off him and he used it to his advantage, bending them to his will."

"I see" he replied even though he didn't. He was somewhat distracted by the woman in his arms and if her quiet little sigh was any indication she was enjoying this just as much as he was.

"You know Nelson is bound to walk in at any moment" he laughed, placing a gentle kiss on top of her head.

"Probably" he pulled back suddenly and she sent him a questioning look.

"I have an alert out on a car that was stolen in the area and I just got a hit. It's kind of a long shot but it might be worth checking out" she nodded in agreement and they grabbed their weapons (he gave back her knife and she had never been more grateful to see it), making a quick detour to Lillian's office letting her know where they were going and to send back-up if they weren't back within an hour before they left.

* * *

The hit, as it turned out was at another abandoned warehouse about nine miles from the other one. It had grown dark a couple of hours ago (the debrief took longer than she realised) and shadows played around the broken edges of the windows. Half the roof was caved in and the whole thing looked like it was about to collapse.

"God if I have to see one more creepy condemned warehouse I'm going to go crazy" Riley muttered as she got out of the car, Gabriel not far behind her. On the ride over she had warned him not to be afraid of the Demons and it seemed he was taking her advice: she could feel them around her.

"This is it."

"You sure?" he asked and she nodded.

"Should we call for back-up?" she shook her head and he rose an eyebrow, silently waiting for an explanation.

"They don't know what they're getting into."

"Lillian's going to kill us" she was really trying not to think about that now but she nodded in agreement.

"Let's not tell her then."

As they started to make their way towards the building she caught a whiff of Michael's scent and motioned to Gabriel who quickly caught on, following behind her as quietly as he could with his gun drawn. Riley had the knife in her hand, trusting him to have her back. The gun wouldn't kill Michael so their best bet was to get close enough to him to use the knife. She listened, letting the wolf take over but the inside was eerily quiet. Thinking back the alleyway had been too and she wondered if the Demons were somehow masking his presence. She could only hope he hadn't heard the car pull up though she wouldn't be surprised if he was expecting them. She only knew one thing for sure: Michael was insane and extremely dangerous.

They found an opening big enough for them to squeeze through. Gabriel pulled out a flashlight but Riley motioned for him to put it away, not wanting to give away their position. She could see fine in the dark and so could Michael, which put Gabriel at a disadvantage but as long as he stayed behind her he would be fine. She didn't like dragging him into danger like this but there was no way he would let her go by herself and there was no-one she trusted more to have her back. Taking a deep breath she made her way further inside, passing by abandoned machinery covered in several layers of dust. She couldn't see any disturbances but that didn't mean he wasn't there somewhere. Gabriel's breaths were heavy against the silence and though she found the sound comforting she wished he knew how to be more silent.

She heard the creak behind them seconds too late as Michael sprung up behind Gabriel, tackling him. His gun slid along the floor, lost under a shelf as he tried to throw him off. It took her only a few seconds to close the distance between them and throw him off her partner. They circled around each other, growling. He lunged for her but she anticipated the move, dodging him and thrusting the blade forwards catching him along his ribs. He let out a howl of pain and turned, the wolf taking over his eyes. He was in a state that was both human and wolf, where the origins of the myth originated. He was most dangerous like this and though she could do the same Riley knew that only by staying in control could she win. The Demons rose up around him as they took on his will and he growled, once again lunging for her, this time with the Demons at his side. Without the proper blade there was no way to really get rid of them but she didn't have room for two and right now the only thing that mattered was defeating Michael. The Demons slid across her skin, slowing her down and she barely dodged his attack.

Gunshots sounded, echoing off the walls and Michael looked at his chest in surprise. Gabriel stood behind him, having fired a neat little grouping of bullets into his heart. It did nothing but piss him off and with the Demons between them Riley could only watch on in horror as he turned and, with superhuman speed lunged for Gabriel.

Time seemed to stand still, one second passing into the next. Vaguely she was aware of the other sensations around her, the Demons feeding off her but it was like she had become disconnected from her body, watching on from afar.

A blade whizzed through the air, catching the light as it buried itself right into the centre of Michaels chest just as he was mere centimetres away from Gabriel. He stood still for several moments before crumpling to the ground, dead before he even hit.

Riley turned in surprise and caught sight of a silhouetted figure perched on the ledge of a broken window. As the figure turned moonlight illuminated her face and her heart skipped a beat as she watched Mei Chen disappear from view and the warehouse once again fell silent.


	12. Chapter 12

Epilogue

_3 months later_

"This is nice" Gabriel murmured and Riley looked up from her place draped across his chest. They were watching a movie at his place but really it was just an excuse to curl up on the couch together.

"Yeah" she replied and he leaned in, placing a gentle kiss on her lips. "You know" she started as he pulled back and he rose an eyebrow. Her hand began drawing patterns on his thigh, his muscles reacting to her touch. "This is our first day off in over a week. Do you want to do something a little more...fun?" Her voice dropped several octaves and his eyes darkened in response.

"Oh, like what?" he replied, feigning innocence as he copied the patterns onto her lower back, letting his hand dip under her shirt.

"Well we could take this into the bedroom" she suggested and he pretended to think about it, his hand far too close to the waistband of her jeans to be innocent.

"I think I like that idea" he replied, leaning in. Just as his lips were about to touch hers a shrill ringing filled the room and the pair groaned in annoyance. Rather than get up and fetch the phone Riley simply glared at the inanimate object (though she could swear the damn thing knew it was interrupting) and to her utter surprise it stopped. Gabriel laughed but he was soon silenced when his phone began to ring.

"It's probably work" he said, sighing.

"We should probably get up and answer it" she replied. Neither made a move to actually do so and eventually the ringing stopped.

"So where were we?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her.

"Bedroom" she mumbled and he picked her up, ignoring her protests as he carried her across the living room, gently placing her on his bed before climbing on top of her.

There was no shortage of sexual innuendos from their colleagues the next day but it was completely worth it.

**A/N: Sorry the epilogue is so short, it was pretty much just an excuse to write some shameless Riliel fluff :)**


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